EVM row: Futile exercise, ECI team finds things in order

Chandigarh:It was a futile exercise by a team of Election Commission of India (ECI) that visited Punjab to check the strong-rooms, where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) are kept under tight security in buildings located, in Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran.

The ECI team is on Punjab visit following Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) complained that security arrangements around the strongrooms were loose.

The AAP has also accused local officials of allowing unauthorised people to enter the strongrooms.

After finding the security arrangements foolproof in buildings having strongrooms in Patiala on Wednesday and Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran on Thursday, the ECI team comprising Narendera Chauhan, Chief Electoral Officer, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajesh Kumar, Additional Electoral Officer, NCT Delhi, has expressed its satisfaction.

With the ECI finding things in order, the AAP leadership has yet again exposed for making ‘hoax calls’.

On Thursday morning, the team visited the strongroom at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) campus in Ludhiana and took a stock of the security arrangements there.

The team inspected the strongrooms and saw the security arrangements, CCTVs and log books. The inner-most security cordon of the EVMs strongrooms was under central forces while the outer ring was with the Punjab Police.

Besides, Ravi Bhagat, Additional District Election Officer Ludhiana, candidates of different political parties from 14 constituencies of the district were also present.

In Jalandhar, the team visited Patwar School and Sports College in Jalandhar where EVMs are kept in strong rooms. Here all arrangements were found perfect. Representatives of various political parties meet the team and expressed their satisfaction on security arrangements.

The team has already given clean chit to Patiala district authorities after visiting the strong room in Government Physical College, Patiala, on Wednesday.

A controversy had erupted on February 13 after the district administration informed candidates of all parties regarding shifting of some documents from the college. Gurdev Singh Dev Mann, AAP candidate, had raised a hue and cry after finding that the officials were shifting some “old” EVMs.